Why Twitter may remove the ‘like’ button
Some users believe the idea doesn’t go far enough to tackle far-right content
![Twitter](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Aw8EHsSRupMa8mN8MrAsBC-415-80.jpg)
Twitter is on the brink of removing its “like” button in an attempt to “improve the quality of debate” on the platform, according to reports.
Jack Dorsey, the social media site’s founder and chief executive, allegedly said at a private Twitter event last week that he is not a fan of the heart-shaped “like” button and plans to scrap the feature “soon”, The Daily Telegraph claims.
Since its introduction in 2015, the “like” tool is used to show “appreciation of people’s status updates”, but the newspaper says that psychologists believe the feature could be causing social media addiction for those “who crave endorsement from their peers”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to Metro, “most” smartphone users look at their phones for around five hours a day and roughly 11% of users in Western countries “are thought to suffer from some form of technology addiction”.
Responding to the Telegraph’s report, Twitter said it is “rethinking everything about the service to ensure we are incentivising healthy conversation”. But it added that any changes are still some way off.
What do the users think?
Twitter users are not too fond of the idea, it seems.
A number of people on social media believe Dorsey’s plan to scrap the “like” button doesn’t go far enough to remove far-right posts, an issue that came to a head when the platform refused to ban controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones earlier this year.
Other users, meanwhile, joked that the “like” button would be replaced by people writing messages of approval for each post, which would “clog” discussion threads.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Did Kamala Harris kill brat?
Talking Point Pop culture phenomenon co-opted by presidential candidate sparks claims brat is over
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Paris Olympics: will it be a success?
Today's Big Question Organisers hope the 'spectacle' of the 2024 Games will lift the cloud of negativity that has hung over the build-up
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 20 - 26 July
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Threads turns one: where does the Twitter rival stand?
In the Spotlight Although Threads is reporting 175 million active monthly users, it has failed to eclipse X as a meaningful cultural force
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
The growing dystopian AI influencer economy
In the Spotlight AI-generated digital personas are giving human influencers a run for their money
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Social media could come with a warning label
Talking Points Do Facebook and TikTok need the notifications that come on cigarettes?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
What happens if TikTok is banned?
Today's Big Question Many are fearful that TikTok's demise could decimate the content creator community
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Instagram hopes that blurring nudity in messages will make teens safer
The Explainer The option will be turned on by default for users under 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Cyberflashing, fake news and the new crimes in the Online Safety Act
The Explainer UK's first conviction demonstrates scope of controversial law that critics describe as a threat to privacy and free speech
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Elon Musk's most controversial moments
The Explainer The business mogul has a long history in the hot seat
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published